Telling Tales
by butnotquite
Summary: Arthur discovers that there are stories written about him. One story captures his attention and he is just as intrigued about the person who's written it. Merlin and Morgana are along for the ride. Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**-1-**

Not for the first time this evening, Arthur found himself muttering "this is a bad idea." It had started off innocently enough. He had chanced upon Morgana and Merlin laughing their heads off at something that was on Merlin's laptop screen; they'd pause every now and then to look up at him and then it would be back to laughing. They had gotten so loud that Arthur, who usually ignored everything his sister and best friend did, gave in to his curiosity and walked over to the couple to see just what was so funny.

"F-f-fanfiction," Morgana said between gasps and chortles. She had teared up from laughing so hard and was wiping her eyes. "What?" Arthur was confused. Fan-what? Merlin took a deep breath and explained it to him. "Fanfiction," he said. "Your fans have gotten creative and are writing stories about you."

Arthur frowned a bit. "Stories?" He asked Morgana and Merlin who have dissolved into giggles once again. Merlin pushed his laptop toward Arthur, apparently too overcome with laughter to make any more coherent conversation. He took the computer and read the first few paragraphs of a story that had him as a character involved with a leggy blonde named Vivian. It wasn't long before he felt his ears burn with embarrassment. He was by no means a prude, but this...creativity was a bit too much.

"Are you shy, baby brother?" Morgana's teasing voice broke through his thoughts. "Don't you enjoy seeing the effects of your sex appeal?" She and Merlin looked at each other and began laughing again.

"Haha. Very funny," he stood up and made to walk away from the hysterical pair. "Yeah! It is!" they both called after him. "Don't deny that you enjoyed it!" Morgana sing-songed.

Arthur led a very regimented life. His father had finally begun to take his taking the reins of Pendragon Investments seriously. No longer did Uther breathe down Arthur's neck as he went over every decision with a fine-toothed comb. While he had been groomed from the cradle to one day take over his father's vast financial empire, Arthur could never shake the notion that he will never live up to Uther Pendragon's business reputation.

But Arthur had to admit that his father's fears weren't exactly unwarranted. He went through a scandalous stage where he primed himself as tabloid fodder. Models, benders, public displays of raucousness-he'd done it all and the press had documented every embarrassing moment. But he'd wised up after a particularly bad night out where he landed on the wrong side of the law and his father had refused to bail him out of jail. A couple of hundred hours of community service had humbled him and he'd tried to keep on the straight and narrow ever since.

But that didn't mean that he had completely abandoned his more rebellious side. Arthur was not the type to ever want for female company; he could-quite literally-send a message to any of the names in his phone's contact list and they would be at his doorstep faster than a food delivery service. He was perfectly aware of what doors his name, money, and good looks opened. So what was he doing at home, at nine in the evening, on a Friday night? Going through pages of fanfiction to see what people had written about him. Good Lord.

He looked at the number of pages dedicated to Arthur Pendragon fiction and goggled at the results. "Surely not," he muttered to himself. "This cannot be real." He read each summary as it appeared on his laptop screen. Variations of him being a spoiled brat with a heart of gold, along with stories of him being paired (shipped?) with various actresses, models, and fictional characters. He had to sit back at that. Fictional characters? Really? He went through another few pages of story synopses when his eye was caught by one story. "Legends," he read the title out loud. "Who wrote you, Legends?" He read more and saw that it was someone who called herself LadyInLavender. The summary said that it was about two people separated by time but whose souls managed to find each other through the ages. "'Swords, magic, dragons, oh my!'" Arthur had to laugh at the summary but felt charmed by it at the same time. Against his better judgement, he clicked on the link to the story and settled back to read. "Amuse me, LadyInLavender," Arthur said aloud as the first page of the story loaded.

_Thank you very much for reading the first chapter, I'd love to know what you think about it._

_Credit goes out to **Lostinlaceandbrocade** for being such a wonderful beta-reader._

_I have to apologize as I had to delete the first upload because I was having trouble editing it (first time user here). **larasmith**, thank you so much for your comment. I hope you continue reading and look forward to what you have to say about future chapters._


	2. Chapter 2

**-2-**

I sat back in my chair as I looked over the first draft of my thesis. "People of the Myth: A Comparative Analysis of Heroes and Villains in Legend, Lore, and Popular Culture," I wrinkled my nose as I said the title out loud. It sounded so pretentious. I had taken a leap of faith when I presented this topic to the head of the Applied Anthropology department. Most of my classmates had given highly academic proposals raging from the underground economy to how traditions are determined by cultures, while I had given in to my addiction to books. Well, that and a tinge of laziness.

I worked a full-time job at my family's small book shop so taking on a class to earn a second bachelor's degree was an exercise in madness. But I loved finding out what made people tick, so going back to school to study Applied Anthropology was something I had always wanted to do. I'd put it off for a few years so I could help get the store back in the black again, but realized that I could not live my life looking at spreadsheets and accounting ledgers. The logical side of me loved being an accountant, but the romantic side loved stories.

I was surprised when my professor agreed to my choice of subject. Happy too, because this meant that my primary source of research material included movies, television shows, and even comic books. But now, after all the outlines I wrote, nothing was coming to me. I looked at the notebook where I had scribbled down the topics that made it to my final outline, and the last thing I felt like doing was hunkering down to write technical text about the similarities between Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Luke Skywalker. I sighed. But force myself I did, and for the next couple of hours, my empty flat was filled with nothing but the sound of my fingers quickly tapping out sentences from the keyboard of my laptop.

As with all writing, I struggled for the first couple of days, but then I hit my stride and slid into a pattern: work in the morning, classes and paper consultations in the afternoon, and write in the evening. It never occured to me that my life was boring. I liked the predictability of my schedule, and knew that if I ever wanted to take a day off from one of my duties, it would be easy to slip back into my routine to catch up.

But a pattern-even to those who liked to keep to a schedule-can be monotonous, and tonight my brain rebelled at the thought of having to go through too much rersearch and related literature readings. I gave up after two hours, accepting the fact that my brain was fried and I would be unable to make much more headway into my paper.

I closed the word processing program and opened my music cache. I found the playlist I was looking for and soon, the sounds of the songs I loved filled the air. I sipped at my hot chocolate-which had now grown cold-took my hair down from its usual bun at the nape of my neck, and pulled up a file from my "Miscellaneous" folder. "Legends," the story I had been writing in secret for the past few weeks blossomed on the screen, and I had to smile.

It was so unlike me, fictionalizing the life of a man I had admired for so long. Arthur Pendragon was the golden boy of business. His succession of his father to become the head of Pendragon Industries gave the business world some much needed charisma.

"Guinevere, mark my words, that boy is the Tiger Woods of industry," my father once said.

A strange and somewhat disjointed analogy, but it made sense. I admired his tenacity. His shrewdness shone through during interviews, and even when he was being grilled by the toughest of market analysts on television, he never flinched. He sat ramrod straight, looked at his interviewer in the eye, and gave answers that were much too logical to be rehearsed. I admit that I was smitten. The fact that he looked like he did didn't help my illogical heart. Golden hair, clear blue eyes (the bluest I had ever seen), and a shy, almost boyish smile capped off what was obviously a brilliant mind. I fell hard and swift.

But my thoughts and fantasies of Arthur Pendragon never made it to my ordered life. They were kept to moments like these, when I was alone and free to let my imagination run free. For the most part, it worked well for me. And the story I was writing about him was just that, fantasy. Arthur Pendragon was a dream, a dream that must have been shared with other women all over the world, but when I was alone and living my other life as LadyInLavender, he was all mine.

I smiled again and sipped at my cold drink. It wasn't bad, but it lost much of its allure now that it wasn't warm and comforting.

I put my feet up on my chair and wrapped my arms around my legs, resting my chin on my knees. I carefully pondered how I was going to write the next few chapters of Legends. So far, I had gotten Arthur to battle a griffin and test his mettle against other magical beings, so now what?

I pulled out another notebook and considered the notes I had made there. A laugh escaped my lips as I looked down at my handwriting: introduce love interest, I had underlined the words three times. I put my feet down and pulled my chair closer to my desk. Yes. "Prince" Arthur definitely needed a romantic partner.

My fingers were soon flying across the keyboard as I wrote about a maid with dusky skin, dark, curly hair, and the compulsion to say what was on her mind. This was fanfiction, after all. If I couldn't put a bit of myself into one of the characters, it wouldn't be true to the genre. Besides, it was only a physical resemblance. And really, it's not like anyone who actually knew Arthur Pendragon would read it.


	3. Chapter 3

**-3-**

For the third Friday evening in a row, Arthur found himself alone at home, scrolling through the now famailiar website that held a library's worth of stories about him. He kept coming back to the one that had held his attention. "Legend" was now a guilty pleasure, one that he enjoyed in secret.

Merlin and Morgana shared the same fascination with the site, often squabbling over which Arthur story was more ridiculous. So far, things were at an impasse, and they've actually come close to quitting the site several times, but each time they swore they would never read another story, they'd find a new one and the process would start all over again. Arthur would roll his eyes at them, tell them to behave like the adults that they were, but he was always ignored.

"You know," Morgana had said one morning. "I'm getting pretty jealous over the attention you're getting." She had planted herself on the arm of his office chair, crossing her arms over her chest while she peered at the report he was going over. "Why should fictional you have all the fun?" She pouted.

The effect was comical. His sister had the looks that made people freeze in their tracks: pale, almost translucent skin, black hair, and starling green eyes all contributed to her ice queen reputation, but the people who knew her best knew that she had a 16-year-old boy's sense of humor. Seeing her features contorted into a childish moue was more than he could handle.

He chortled at her and said, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Fanfiction!" She swatted his hands off his laptop keyboard and pulled up the familiar website. With a few taps, she had the page listing stories about him open on the screen. "See?" she gesticulated at the screen. "Why are there a billion stories about you and not one about me?"

"And me," Merlin came through the door carrying a stack of files which he placed on Arthur's desk.

Morgana scowled at their friend. "Never mind you," Morgana said dismissively and turned back to her brother. "I'm just as popular as you, and I'm definitely better looking, so why aren't people paying attention to me?"

Arthur blinked at his sister. "You're not serious," there was disbelief in his voice. "Morgana, these are written as a past time, a hobby," he spoke slowly, as if talking to a child throwing a tantrum.

"I don't care," she countered. "I want my own stories." Morgana had stood up from her perch on Arthur's chair and sat on another one across his desk. She was still scowling.

"The world does not revolve around you, Morgana," Merlin looked at the woman who was clearly miffed. He would have laughed but he was ticking her off even more. "Besides," he added. "If we're talking about looks, I should have a few pages devoted to me, too."

Arthur goggled at the two people now sitting across him, amazement now on his face. "You two," he pointed a finger at both of them. "Are insane."

"And how is that bad?" Morgana asked, clearly in a snit.

Arthur dropped his face into his hands. Why? Why was he always being cornered by these two? Okay, Morgana he couldn't do anything about. There was no escaping his sister. His father adored Morgana, and usually gave in to whims. It made his life a living hell when they were younger, as he constantly tried to be the straighter of the two of them. But as they grew up, he realized that the best way to get over Morgana was to humour her. He pretended that her word was gospel, and she pretended that he didn't know what he was doing.

Merlin, on the other hand, was another species altogether. They met in University, were classmates in the general sciences class that all undergraduates had to take, and were assigned to be each other's lab partner as Merlin seemed to be the only one who wasn't awed by Arthur's social status. He had come from a more humble background, but his own reputation as the son of one of the most influential scientific minds in Britain was nothing to sneer at.

Predictably, Merlin had breezed through the course, and because he had patiently coached and tutored Arthur through the subject, Arthur had gotten by without much trouble. They became good friends after that. And even after declaring their majors-Arthur's was Business, and Merlin was a double major in Physics and Chemistry-their friendship flourished.

After graduating, Arthur had immediately apprenticed at his father's company. Without his knowledge, Merlin had applied-and was hired-at one of Pendragon Industries' subsidiaries, a research facility that sought to make better but inexpensive products for the medical industry. He was often the person sent to the PI headquarters, as he was one of the few staff members who wasn't intimidated by Arthur or his father.

Both his sister and best friend were level-headed, logical, and brilliant, so why were they fighting over this? "We're fighting over fanfiction?" Arthur asked. "This is bizarre, even for us." He shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"You would say that," Morgana was now seething. "Mr. Popular." She made it sound like it was a four-letter word.

Merlin was no help. He merely raised an eyebrow at Arthur. He knew Morgana was being absurd, but he loved taking every opportunity to rile Arthur. It snapped him out of his routine.

"Look," Arthur rubbed at his temples, hoping to erase the migraine that was now forming. "If it bothers you so much, why don't you write your own and publish it? Write some ridiculous story and," he struggled to find the right word. "And leave anonymous hints so that people see it and read it. Plant a few comments about how brilliant it is so that more people write more stories about you?"

Arthur was getting frustrated. It was a Thursday and he was due to make an appearance at a board meeting in a few hours. He didn't have time to soothe Morgana's ruffled feathers.

Morgana's eyes widened. Making her look younger than her 27 years. "You know what?" she said in a much calmer voice. "That isn't a bad idea."

"It isn't?" Merlin was confused. "Why isn't it?"

"Because, Merlin," Morgana now stood up and took the Merlin's hand, urging him to stand up as well. "I can make me as fabulous as I want."

Merlin frowned at Morgana. "But, wouldn't that be too obvious?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Morgana tilted her head to one side and knit her brows.

"Your writing style is, um, distinct," Merlin put a slight emphasis on the word.

Morgana's shoulders slumped. Merlin was right. She had graduated from university with a degree in literature and had made a name for herself by penning spy thrillers that were often on the best-seller list.

"Damn," she said. "Who would have thought that being talented would come at my disadvantage?"

Arthur was looking back and forth at the two of them. "I was kidding!" he practically said.

"Quiet," Merlin shushed him.

Arthur stared at Merlin. "What did you say?" His question went unanswered as Merlin turned to Morgana.

"What about this, Morgs," Merlin said, reverting to the nickname he had given Morgana. "I'll write your story and you can write mine! Deal?"

Morgana looked unconvinced. "I have no faith in your ability to type or write."

"Me either," Merlin said. "But don't you see? That will make it more believable!"

Morgana thought this over for a beat. "I suppose so," she paused again. "Okay, deal!" She let go of Merlin's hand and raised hers for a high-five. Merlin's palm slapped hers and they turned away from Arthur, clearly on their way out the door. They threw a dismissive "bye!" over their shoulders and left.

Arthur chortled at the remembrance. The last time he checked on them, they were seated across each other at an abandoned conference room, tapping away at their respective laptops, clearly engrossed in their make-believe world of pretend lives.

But who was he to sneer? He was engrossed in one as well. LadyInLavender was a convincing writer and he enjoyed the world she created. She captured his more overt traits perfectly, and he was almost suspicious that she was someone he knew. I mean, how did she know that he adjusted his collar when he was uncomfortable, or that he blinked just before answering a question he found to be ridiculous?

He pulled up "Legends" and saw that she had added a couple of new chapters. For the life of him, he couldn't explain why he was thrilled.

The first few paragraphs in and he realized that the story had branched out. Prince Arthur was out of battle and back at the castle. And she had introduced a new character. A love interest. She was unnamed as of the moment, but the way she was described was nothing short of, well, delicious. "Warm, dusky skin and curls the color of night," he read aloud. He was intrigued.

A short while later, Arthur was left staring at his screen. He saw the story in his head. He could feel this unnamed woman's hand in his, he could almost hear her voice-she was nearly real to him.

"This is insane," he whispered. This is a story about a fictional him, he had no reason to feel involved. He looked at the author's name again. LadyInLavender.

"Dammit," he muttered as he clicked on her name and pulled up an empty author's profile page. It listed her pen name, the date she joined, and below that, the stories she had written. Or rather, the one story she has written. Beside her name was a link that said "send this author a message." Against his better judgement, he clicked on it and wrote out a note.

"Lovely story, LadyInLavender," he began. "I can't wait to read more." He paused as he considered what name he should put in the "from" field. "Ah, screw it," he said. "A.P." he typed before clicking "send." And if his hands trembled as he did, no one was there to confirm it.


	4. Chapter 4

**-4-**

I smiled at a customer as I rang up a purchase. "Okay, Mrs. Cole," I said to the woman who was standing across the counter from me. "Two copies of 'Oh, All the Places You'll Go.' Good choice of literature." I handed the woman her change and wrapped the books in paper before slipping them inside a plastic carrier bag.

"The books are for my nephews," Mrs. Cole said as she accepted the parcel. "They're graduating from University soon and this seemed like the right thing to give them."

"They'll love it," I told her. "Oh, wait! Are these for Chris and Carter?" I remembered Mrs. Cole had twin nephews whom she was very find of. "They're graduating from university already? Oh, that makes me feel so old!"

"Gwen, they're only a year younger than you so you are certainly not old!" Mrs. Cole laughed at my distress. "You just graduated from University early." She waved goodbye as she made her way to the door. The bell above the door frame made a familiar tinkling sound as she closed it behind her.

I sighed and stepped out from behind the counter. It was an unusually busy day in the store, people were coming in and out since we opened at nine this morning and it continued well into the lunch hours. I wasn't complaining, though. We had just bounced back from what seemed to be a never-ending string of bad luck. We had nearly sold the business twice, but somehow managed to find ways to keep out heads above financial ruin.

I ran my fingers across the gleaming wood bookshelves as I walked through the aisles that were ripe with literature. I grew up in this store. I remembered afternoons spend behind the counter with my grandfather as he cherfully greeted every customer who came to see what new titles made it to Tomes. We had been in danger of losing it a couple of times, and the second one really put us the wringer. It was only with a lot of pleading with banks and friends were we able to keep on going. The debts have been repaid since, and I will be damned before I give up this store.

We were by no means wealthy, and even with the bookstore, I remember times when we barely scraped by. But my brother and I were raised by our family to not be ashamed of our blue-collar background. We did good, decent work-me as an accountant, Elyan as the owner of his own motor shop-and we were all proud of what we had achieved.

I was shaken out of my reverie by the tinkling of the door bell and a voice that called out, "Hello!" I moved away from the back shelves and made my way to the front of the store. I was greeted by a young man who looked to be at his wit's end. He was tall and just a little to pale than what I was used to. His brow was furrowed and he was worrying his lower lip when he saw me.

"Good morning," I greeted him, a little amused at how out of sorts he was. "How can I help you today?"

"I need a book," he blurted out.

"You've come to the right place," I moved to the counter and moved to the computer that held our database of every book that was in the store as well the titles that scheduled for delivery. "Do you have the title or the name of the author?"

"Umm," he exhaled loudly and ran his hand through his hair. "Not exactly. What I need is a book that will tell me how to write a book."

I blinked at him. "Excuse me?" I got a lot of strange requests at the bookstore, but this was kind of bizarre. "A book that can t...oh!" I practically ran to the stacks and found what I was looking for. I came back and handed it to the man with a smile and a raise of my eyebrows. "Here," I told him.

"Writing a Novel and Getting Published For Dummies?" he gave me a sideways glance.

"Don't let the title fool you," I said. "A lot of people find that book helpful. And as it seems like you're starting from scratch, you could probably do with simple instructions."

"Hey," he exclaimed, although he smiled as he said it. "But honestly, do you think this will help?"

I nodded. "It should," I told him. "People rate it very highly." Then I furrowed my brow at him. "Although I would put off sending my manuscript to a publisher until after I've had a lot more experience, but that's just me." I backtracked, damning my lack of mind-mouth filter.

"No such thing for me, I'm afraid," he said laughing. He put the book down on the counter and proceeded to reach for his wallet. "It's just," he hesitated. "I sort of made a bet with a friend that I could write a story about her."

"Oh," I said. "Well, then it's all good, I suppose." I took the credit card he offered and ran it through the machine. "Emrys," I murmured as I handed him the sales slip to sign. "That's an unusual last name. Are you related to Dr. Hunith Emrys?"

His face was split by a wide smile. "I'm her son," he said. I swore his chest puffed up with pride when he said this. The way he identified himself wasn't lost on me, it implied that he put his mother over himself. I was charmed.

"Wow," I breathed. "That is so impressive." I took the sales slip from him and handed him the wrapped book. "Thank you for coming to Tomes, Mr. Emrys. I hope you visit again. And," I gestured towards his purchase. "Good luck with your story. I hope your friend likes it."

He offered his hand and I shook it. "Call me Merlin and thank you," there was a slight pause and I realized that he didn't know my name.

"Guinevere," I said. "But call me Gwen, my full name is a mouthful."

"Guinevere," he smiled. "Gwen. It suits you." He tucked his book under his arm and moved to the door. "Thank you for your help. I'll be sure to drop by to let you know the result."

I waved goodbye and soon he was out the door and I was left smiling at the counter. Everyone's a writer, I mused.


	5. Chapter 5

**_AN: _**_Hello, everyone! Thank you for all the comments and for adding _Telling Tales_ to your story alerts list. I'm putting up two chapters today and I hope you like them both. -BNQ_

**-5-**

"Merlin's receiving outside help," Morgana said as she shut the door to Arthur's office behind her.

"I should hope so," Arthur said as he tidied up his desk for the evening. "He has an entire research team at his beck and call. I don't expect him to do everything by himself."

The brunette rolled her eyes and sat down in a chair opposite her brother. "Not with that," she said. "With the story."

"Are you two still going on with that silly dare?" Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew had tunnel vision when it comes to goals, but this was just ridiculous. "How many weeks has it been and you're still quibbling?

"Six weeks, it's not silly, and it's not a bet," Morgana raised an elegantly arched eyebrow at her brother who had his own eyebrow raised. "It's a," she paused to find the right word. "It's a challenge and we both intend to win it."

"Win against whom?" Arthur's voice rose along with his disbelief. "Certainly against each other. I thought you two were in cahoots."

"Oh not against each other," Morgana inspected her perfectly manicured hands. "We intend to win against you." Morgana smiled but her expression was unreadable.

"Morgana," Arthur said as he leaned back in his chair, pausing in the tidying up of his desk. "Don't you think that you're carrying this a bit too far?"

"Nope," she answered. "I will take any opportunity to come out on top."

Now it was Arthur's turn to roll his eyes. "You are a drama queen," his voice was dry as he spoke. "And what's this about Merlin cheating? If you're hell-bent on 'winning' shouldn't you be happy that Merlin's taking this seriously as well?"

"Then why isn't he coming to me for help?" Morgana's voice rose, exposing her frustration. "I write for a living, I could help him! Instead he's having coffee dates with...some woman from a bookstore." The corners of her mouth turned down in disdain.

Both of Arthur's eyebrows shot into orbit. Somehow he didn't think that Morgana's outburst was because of their little "challenge."

"You're jealous," he said slowly. "You're jealous that Merlin's spending a lot of time with a woman who is not you."

"I am not jealous," Morgana huffed.

"Yes you are," Arthur's tone was gleeful as he began teasing his sister. "Oh my god, you're in love with Merlin."

"I'm not in love with Merlin!" Morgana yelled. "I...like him a lot, but I'm not jealous. Please, why would I be jealous of any woman?"

Arthur wasn't done ribbing Morgana. "So what's she like?" he fully intended to make his sister as uncomfortable as possible.

"She works in a bookstore," Morgana said. "She's literate, at least. And Merlin has been spending the last week having coffee with her after he leaves work." Morgana's voice turned from disdainful to sad.

"Have you asked him about her?" Arthur was more cautious in his questioning now. He didn't want to make Morgana more upset than she already was.

She nodded. "He said she was a friend who was helping him write my story," she looked at her younger brother in the eye and it felt like she was daring him to laugh.

Arthur smiled at Morgana's obvious distress. "It's just coffee, Morgana," he soothed. "Next time, just ask if you can tag along."

"You're right," she said. "Assess my enemy. Find out her weakness." She stood up suddenly. "I have to go."

"Where?" Arthur asked as Morgana quickly made her way to the door.

"Shopping," she paused, her hand on the doorknob. "I need the perfect outfit to meet this...Gwen tomorrow. 'Bye!"

Arthur raised a hand to weakly wave at his sister. How quickly she turned from morose to predatory was amazing to watch. He sighed. Only Morgana.

He waited in his seat until he was absolutely sure that his sister was gone. Then he stood up, locked the door and walked back to his desk. Arthur then pulled up his personal e-mail account and saw that he had received a new e-mail. From LadyInLavender. He smiled.

He had sent his first message to her with caution, not wanting to be discovered by her or anyone else. Her story had been compelling and Arthur found himself drawn into the make-believe world she created around a fictional version of him. He received a reply the next day, a mere "Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it." And that started it all.

They had sent each other notes through the fanfiction site's messaging system until Arthur had gotten tired of having to hide every time he received notification of a message from her. He'd offered to converse via e-mail-a risky move, but she had agreed and so far, he had yet to receive unwanted correspondence from her.

He opened the latest e-mail and smiled when he read what she wrote: "Hi, A.P.! So nice to hear from you again. I can't believe you're still reading the story, although I must say that it's good for my ego. As for your question, I still don't know if Prince Arthur and Jane are going to end up with a happily ever after, and even if I did, there's no way I would let you know. That would be telling. Anyway, I will be putting up a new chapter soon and I hope that it doesn't disappoint. Cheers! LadyInLavender."

Jane was the name she had given to Prince Arthur's love interest. And for the life of him, Arthur couldn't begin to rationalize how involved he became in their story. He thrilled at his alter-ego's exploits to win over his lady love, and found himself looking forward to more of their time together just as much as he wondered what other adventures he would be taking as the story progressed.

Arthur had stopped asking himself if it was normal to be this interested in something like this-he wasn't sure he was ready to hear the answer, anyway. However, he was still concerned about whether or not this was the height of narcissism and just how Morgana and Merlin would rip into him if they ever found out. That's why he preferred to correspond with LadyInLavender via e-mail. It was easier to check messages from his phone. For the same reason, he had chosen to keep himself updated on the story through his mobile.

With each e-mail, Arthur felt himself being more and more drawn to this LadyInLavender. Just...something about her intrigued him. And that's saying a lot as he didn't even know her name much less what she looked like. But he did know that she was clever, funny, had a vivid imagination, and kind. After all, she had put up with his questions and e-mails, right? But Arthur wanted to know more.

He took a deep breath as he started to compose his reply. "Nice to hear from you again, LadyInLavender. As always I look forward to reading what the next chapters. Although I must admit I am curious about you as well. Can you give me your real name, at least? Let me know." Another deep breath accompanied his clicking "send."

It didn't take long for Arthur to receive a response. "Hey, AP," the e-mail said. "I'm afraid I can't give you that, that would be telling. But to give you a hint, I can tell you that it starts with the letter G." A wink ended the e-mail. Arthur should have felt disappointed, but he wasn't. He actually felt giddy. "G," he said aloud. "Well, that's a start. Hello, G. Nice to meet you."


	6. Chapter 6

**-6-**

I smoothed my hair back and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I made a little grimace when I realized that no matter what I did, my hair was never going to come out sleek and straight. It had been the bane of my existence when I was growing up. While my friends let their hair flow down their backs, I had to keep mine in a ponytail or held back in a braid. My hair was thick, curly, and, in the rare instances where the temperature became too muggy, frizzed up like a dandelion.

It had calmed down a bit when I got older, but it was still too wild to be let loose. Well, most days. Spring was in the air and it was just cool enough for me not to worry about looking like I went through a wind tunnel. I sighed. "What is it about women and hair, huh?" I asked my reflection.

The rest of me didn't look too bad. I wore my favorite jeans (the pair that was perfectly faded and fit me like a glove), a flowy, chiffon top, and my usual ballet flats. Red, just to punch it up a bit.

I had spent a lot of afternoons meeting with Merlin over the past few weeks. He was eager to discuss the progress of his story, and honestly, I enjoyed his company. He was a welcome change from accounting ledgers and my still-to-be-completed thesis.

I picked up my phone and sent a quick text to Merlin saying that I was on my way. I got my purse and was soon walking the few blocks down to the cafe near Tomes. It was a pleasant little excursion. There was a slight breeze in the air and it carried the faintest smell of blossoms which told me that spring was definitely in full swing. I found myself saying hello to familiar faces I met along the way. I had lived in this neighborhood my entire life, and with the store, I was pretty well-known in this part of the town.

I was at the cafe soon enough and, through the window, I saw Merlin sitting at our usual table. It didn't seem like he was alone, though. He looked to be engrossed in a animated discussion with a woman who seemed to be into the conversation as much as he was. Her shoulders were moving, as though she was gesticulating with her hands.

This was odd. Merlin had never brought a friend along to our coffee meetings. In fact, I was under the impression that he had kept it under wraps. Oh well, I shrugged. Our meetings were never secret and we never said other people couldn't join us.

I went inside the cafe, walked over to our table, and got my first glimpse of Merlin's companion. I gulped when I saw her face. She had skin so fair and so smooth that it resembled a porcelain doll's, pouty lips that were the perfect shade of pink, and amazing green eyes that were framed with eyelashes so dark and so long, it was a wonder that small hurricanes didn't appear when she blinked. Her hair made me groan inwardly with envy: it was shiny, dark, and pin-straight. Everything my own locks weren't-well, maybe except for the dark part. She was clad in a sleek black ensemble that made her look like she belonged on a runway. My clothes, which made me feel pretty just moments ago, now made me look childish next to her.

"Ballet flats?" I thought to myself. "Really, Gwen? Why not those heels you were so ecstatic about when you bought them?"

"Gwen!" Merlin stood up when he saw me reach the table. I honestly didn't know how I got there considering all I wanted to do was turn tail and run. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

He pulled out a chair for me and waited for me to take a seat before sitting down. He then motioned to a waiter before turning to me again. "This is-" the rest ot Merlin's introduction was interrupted as the woman talked over him.

"Anna. Anna Faith," she held out a hand and beamed at me.

I tamped down my insecurity and smiled at Anna as I extended my hand to shake hers. "Hello, I'm Gwen," I said. "Welcome to my neck of the woods."

Anna shook my hand. "Hello, Gwen," she said. "I've never been to this part of town before. I never knew it was so pretty."

Merlin launched into a highly detailed story about he found his way to Tomes in search of a writer's manual. I'd heard this story before but it was obvious that Anna hadn't. As soon as he got to the part about being nearly thrown off the bus because the driver had heard him mumbling to himself throughout the ride, Anna was in stitches. It was nice to see that there was a genuine warmth to her and soon, I was wondering why I had ever found her intimidating.

It was obvious that she and Merlin were good friends and that they shared a history. I looked at Anna and felt a tingle of recognition. I don't know where, but I knew I had seen her face before.

She must have felt my gaze on her because she turned to me and asked, "What's wrong Gwen?" She raised a hand to her cheek. "Do I have something on my face? Merlin, do I have a foam mustache and you didn't tell me about it?

"No, no," I had to laugh. She was frowning at Merlin and I could tell that he felt cornered. "It's just that," I paused and took a breath. "It's just that you look so familiar, but I can't remember where I saw you." I took a sip of my coffee. "Which is silly because I work in a bookstore and I think I would have remembered if you had ever bought anything from us."

It might just be me, but I thought I saw Anna's eyes widen in suprise. "Oh, no," she said. "I'm sure you're mistaken." She sipped at her drink and looked at Merlin over the rim of her cup.

Merlin shrugged. "Anna's been mistaken for a lot of things," he said, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Things?" Anna's eyes narrowed at Merlin's words. "What do you mean, 'things'?"

"Oh, like the Morrigan," Merlin was close to laughing. "Various harpies, sometimes even an evil wi-." Whatever Merlin was going to say was suddenly cut off because Anna jammed a scone into his mouth.

I lost it at that. Merlin's face was in complete deadpan as he chewed his way through the scone, his hands never once touching it. Anna very calmly wiped her fingers on a paper napkin and then flicked her hair back over her shoulders.

"Forgive Merlin," she said in a stage whisper. "Sometimes the voices in his head make it to the surface." She shot her friend a fake dirty look. "We're never really sure which of his personalities to take seriously."

"I take all of them seriously," Merlin mumbled through a full mouth. "That was a good scone. Thanks, Anna." Merlin drawled Anna's name. I could swear he was mocking her.

Anna rolled her eyes at Merlin and turned to me again. "How is it working in a bookstore? Merlin tells me that was how he found you," Anna's gaze was a little off-putting, but there was genuine curiosity in her question.

"Tomes," I said. "That's the name of the bookstore. My family's owned it for years and yes, that's where I met Merlin. He was looking for a writer's manual and I helped him find one."

"Is that so?," Anna drawled. "A writer's manual, hmmm? Well, what book did you give him?"

"Writing a Novel and Getting Published For Dummies," I replied with a straight face.

Anna laughed as Merlin turned pink. "Classic," she said. "I like you, Gwen. Merlin should have introduced us earlier."

I beamed at my new friend. I liked Anna as well. She had a down and dirty sense of humour that was the perfect foil to her polished exterior. And she could take as much as she gave! That was a rare thing to find in people.

I suddenly felt my phone vibrate. I tended to keep it in my pocket since I rarely used a ringtone. I preferred the vibrate mode, it was less obtrusive when I was out in public places. I excused myself from my companions as I fished out my phone and saw that I received a new e-mail. From AP.

"I hope you're not cooped up at home and writing that story," the e-mail read. "It's too beautiful a day to stay indoors."

I smiled and typed out a quick response. "I'm enjoying the sunshine," I wrote. "Well, sort of. I'm having coffee with friends. Hope you're out and about as well!" I sent the e-mail and turned my attention back to Anna and Merlin.

"Anyone important?" Anna asked. One eyebrow was raised and she was smiling at me. "Boyfriend?" She drew out the word and winked at me.

"Hardly," I laughed. "Just a friend."

I saw Merlin raise an eyebrow and I looked at him. "What?" I said.

"Messages from friends don't make me grin like that," he gestured to me.

"Unless it's a particularly cheeky text," Anna said slowly before lunging across the table in an attempt to grab my phone.

"Oi!" I said in surprise. Anna may have been quick, but I was quicker. I stuck my phone down the front of my blouse and crossed my arms over my chest. "Go on," I dared. "Try and get it."

"Like that's going to stop me," Anna huffed. Undeterred, it was clear that she was going to try and grab it.

"Anna!" Merlin's voice called out. "We're in public. Rated G behaviour, please."

Anna shrugged and sat back in her chair. Her eyes were still glued to my chest, though. "You're not going to let this go, aren't you?" I said, eyeing her warily.

"Not a cha-," she began before she was cut off by a tone that came from the purse she had in her lap. "Excuse me, phone call."

I motioned for her to go ahead and take the call. While she was preoccupied, I fished my mobile from inside my blouse. "Don't think that I can't see you leering at me, Merlin," I said. Admonishing the man who was craning his neck.

"It wasn't me," Merlin said, both hands raised in surrender. "I didn't do anything."

"And it's going to stay that way," Anna's voice joined our conversation. "We have to go Merlin. Mr. Perfect wants us back to the office for that meeting with King Dragon." She sounded exasperated.

"That's your brother and father you're talking about," Merlin said dryly.

"Don't I know it," Anna put her phone back in her purse and fished a few bills out from her wallet. "Stop, Gwen," she said as I made a motion to take out my wallet as well. "This is on me. Next time, you're it."

"Can I come along next time?" Merlin sounded hopeful.

"Moocher," Anna grinned at her friend.

"Mr. Perfect? King Dragon?" I asked.

"Arthur is Mr. Perfect and my dad is King Dragon," Anna said before taking one last sip of her mocha. "They're far too used to getting their own way." She set her cup down and dabbed at her lips with a napkin. "Anyway," she said brightly. "This was fun! We have to do it again. Say, same time next week?"

Bells were ringing in my head when Anna mentioned that name. "Sure," I heard myself say. I wasn't completely sure it was me because I was suddenly struck by the thought that I might just be dreaming.

We all stood up at the same time and said our goodbyes. They walked in the opposite direction of the store, so we waved at each other and went our way. I waited until they had rounded the corner before practically sprinting back to Tomes. Once there, I said hello to Ella, the girl who filled in for me, and made my way to a section of the store. I found what I was looking for and quickly flipped to the back of the book, hoping to find the one thing that was going to dispel the growing pit of worry in my stomach.

But luck and I never got along, and there, on the back cover of "A Remedy to Cure All Ills" was Anna's face. Only she wasn't Anna, she was Morgana Pendragon. Arthur's sister.

"Oh crap," I whispered before leaning against the wall. I slid down until I was a heap on the floor. "Holy crap."


	7. Chapter 7

**-7-**

A smiling Merlin and Morgana walked into Arthur's office and took their usual seats across his desk. Arthur raised an eyebrow at his sister and best friend.

"This is not normal," he said. "What poor creature have you sunk your claws into, Morgana and how has Merlin dug them out this time?"

"Arthur," Morgana grinned at her brother and settled into her seat. "Merlin and I had a very enjoyable afternoon with Gwen. You know, the person who's helping him write my story." She smiled and Arthur could see it was genuine.

"Oh," he said. "Well, that's good." Arthur looked at his watch. "That's where you've been for the past four hours? Having a chat with Merlin's girlfriend?"

"First of all," Merlin spoke. "Gwen is not my girlfriend. She's nice and lovely, but not my girlfriend."

Morgana's soft sigh of relief was not lost on Arthur.

"And second," Merlin added. "It's a Friday afternoon, and my weekend starts at 2 P.M. on Friday and ends at 9 A.M. on Monday. Technically, I am making good use of my weekend."

"And you don't sign my paycheck so I can do whatever I want," Morgana said cheekily.

"Fine, fine," Arthur conceded. "I'm just glad to see that you two have finally recovered from your story wars-."

"Oh, that's still on," Morgana interrupted him.

"For the love of...," Arthur bowed his head and expelled a breath.

"We're just more civil about it now," Merlin chimed in. He got up suddenly when his phone rang.

"It's my mom," he said. "Excuse me, I'll take this outside." He walked out of the room before answering the call.

"So," Arthur began, his eyes now steady on Morgana. "How did Operation: Size up the Enemy go?"

"She un-hateable, Arthur," Morgana replied and even she sounded exasperated with herself.

"She's funny and kind and just...," his sister's shoulders slumped. "She's perfect, okay. She came into the cafe and I was expecting one of those simpering, vapid women you're always with-"

"Hey!" Arthur protested. "I do not go out with-"

"Floozies, Arthur," Morgana said as she dismissively waved a hand in the air. "You keep company with floozies. And don't interrupt me, it's not nice. Where was I? Oh," she continued. "She's like spring in human form. She was wearing this lovely, soft top that just sort of floated around her and I sat there in black. It's spring and I was wearing black! I looked like a crow."

Morgana now cradled her cheek in her hand, looking depressed and unhappy.

"Uh-huh," Arthur leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together behind his head. "Go on."

"She's smart," Morgana straightened and continued with her Gwen report. "She already has an accounting degree but she's back in school to get her second degree in Applied Anthropology."

"And she's not interested in Merlin," Arthur said slowly.

"No," Morgana slid a sideways glance at her brother. "She's is definitely not interested in Merlin."

"So it's good?" Arthur asked.

"It's very, very good," Morgana grinned. "Anyway, I'm seeing her again next week. You should come along, Arthur."

"Not possible," Arthur shook his head. Although from the way Morgana described Gwen, his curiosity was piqued. "Hostile takeover bid for Hengist Enterprises, remember?"

"Ugh," Morgana grimaced. "Don't remind me. That man is seriously unhinged."

"That man is also in the next room," Uther Pendragon said as he walked into Arthur's office. "Arthur, it's time. Come on, son."

"Dad," Morgana rose and kissed her father on the cheek. "Do you want me there as well?"

"No, Morgana," Uther gave his daughter a slight hug. "I don't want any female within 50 feet of that man. You'd better stay here, or," Uther checked his watch. "As it's already four in the afternoon, you can go home if you want. This conference might stretch on for hours."

"Hengist won't let his company go easy," Arthur's tone was serious. He stood up, put his hands into his trouser pockets, and pressed his mouth into a straight line.

"Or cheap," Uther sighed. "But whatever it takes, Arthur. I won't let him run that company to the ground. And I don't trust anyone on his board to run it well."

"Feeling magnanimous, Father?" Morgana teased Uther.

"Hardly, darling," Uther straightened his tie and checked his cuffs, making sure that they were perfect. "He has the connections we want and we have the funds he needs."

"Mr. Pendragon," Merlin stepped back into the room. "Arthur, we should go in now. They're ready for us."

"I'll wait for you here," Morgana said. She took off her jacket and draped it over the back of the chair she vacated. "I need to send a few e-mails anyway. Arthur, can I use your laptop?"

Arthur nodded and began to follow Uther out the door. "We'll be back soon, Morgs," Arthur said, his hand on the door. "Try not to do too much damage to your credit card." He gave Morgana a smirk before shutting the door behind him.

Morgana stuck her tongue out at the closed door before moving to sit behind Arthur's desk so she could access the Internet. She minimized all the open programs and pulled up a web browser. She accessed the web version of her account and groaned when she saw that the had more than 30 new messages from her publisher.

It took a while before she got through them all. "Honestly," Morgana said. "She could have said all of that in one e-mail. It wasn't necessary to send 30." She had just logged out of her account when a small pop-up alert appeared in a corner of the screen. A new message from G (LadyInLavender), it said.

"It couldn't hurt," Morgana said. "I can always say I clicked on it by mistake."

Morgana clicked on the alert and the e-mail automatically appeared on the screen.

"You won't believe who I had coffee with today, AP," the e-mail said. "Morgana Pendragon! Well, she said her name was Anna Faith and it took me a while to figure it out, but it was Morgana Pendragon! Oh my gosh, she was so pretty and so nice! She said she wanted to meet up again next week. I should be happy, but all I can think about is what I'm going to wear! haha! Such a female concern. Anyway, I have a new chapter up. Let me know what you think. Cheers! G."

Morgana goggled at what she just read. How did Gwen know her brother and why is she sending messages to his personal e-mail address? Morgana quickly scanned Arthur's inbox and saw a folder labeled G (LadyInLavender). She clicked on it and immediately read through the e-mails sent from and to Arthur's e-mail address.

"Well," Morgana said. "It seems that you've been keeping secrets from me, dear brother."

She then opened a new browser window and typed in the address to the fanfiction site that had been the root of all of this. A quick search for LadyInLavender quickly showed her the link to "Legends."

Morgana read the story and was surprised at how, for an amateur, Gwen captured Arthur's nuances completely. The mood of the story was quite charming as well. She realized that Jane, "Prince" Arthur's love interest, sort of resembled her, but even that was sort of endearing.

"Arthur is reading this and sending e-mails to Gwen," Morgana mused. It wasn't long before the wheels started turning in her head. "Arthur sought her out. He initiated the e-mail exchange, he's sending her story queries. And Gwen has absolutely no idea who she's talking to."

Morgana pulled out her phone and sent a quick message to Merlin. "Don't reply to this until you're out of the meeting," she wrote. "We have a new project. I'll tell you all about it at dinner. Hurry that meeting along." She went back to Gwen's e-mail. Morgana hesitated for a beat, then deleted the message.

Morgana couldn't contain her glee. Arthur had always accused her at being too nosy for her own good and it was time to put that talent to good use. It was clear to her that Arthur was smitten, and if he was intrigued enough to send a woman his personal contact details sight unseen, well, this was something that had to be investigated.

The more Morgana thought about it, the more she was convinced that Gwen and her brother would make a good pair. He was pig-headed, she was calm, Arthur was too sheltered, Gwen had both feet on the ground. They were both hard workers and devoted to their families.

"Just a nudge in the right direction," Morgana rationalized. "If they want to take it further than that, well, that's going to be up to them."

Morgana's grin widened as she started to flesh out the plan. After all, she wasn't a best-selling mystery novelist for nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

**_AN:_**_ Hi guysI Thank you so much for leaving such kind notes and reviews for _Telling Tales_. It means so much to me that you're reading this story. I know everyone's spoiling for a Gwen/Arthur moment, and I promise you that it will happen soon—just not right now :) But to make up for it (and because I may not be able to update until next weekend), here are two new chapters. I'd love to know what you think of them. - BNQ_

**-8-**

"You look nice today," Ella said as I came out of Tomes' back office and made my way to the front of the store. "Is there a special occasion?"

I smiled at Ella. She was a sweet girl, and was always ready to lend a hand when I asked.

"No, nothing special," I said as I set a sheaf of papers down on the counter. "Just having coffee with friends and I thought it would be nice to dress up a little."

It wasn't even a very special outfit, just new dark jeans, a white eyelet blouse, and espadrille-type wedges that added three crucial inches to my height. Maybe it was the addition of a pair of simple pearl studs in my ears that got Ella's attention as I rarely wore jewelry.

I tucked the papers into a large brown envelope and sealed it. "Elyan's going to drop by today and he'll need these papers," I told Ella. "Remind him that he'll need to give it to dad to sign before we send them out to the insurance agency."

"All right," Ella said as she tucked the envelope under the counter. "What time is he coming over?"

I looked at the clock and saw that it was 10 in the morning. "He's coming by at around 11," I said. "He's having lunch with dad today."

"Got it," Ella replied. "And don't worry about me, I came prepared." She held up a brown paper bag that she had apparently stowed under the counter as well.

"I worry about everyone," I laughed. "Okay, Ella. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Take your time," Ella called after me. "It's spring! Have some fun!"

I waved at her and made my way down the street. I was fretting about how I was going to behave in front of Anna (I still calling her that in my head because I was too afraid to slip and call her Morgana), but then I remembered how lovely she was when we first met and my worry dissipated a bit.

"Play it by ear," I told myself. "She doesn't know that you know who she is or that you're enamored with her brother."

The short walk to the cafe was pleasant. The sun was shining, there was a cool breeze in the air, and everyone seemed to be taking advantage of the weather. As I reached the restaurant, I noticed that the planters outside were bursting with flowers and the blooms made it look more charming than usual.

I looked up and saw that Mor...sorry, Anna and Merlin were already inside. They saw me through the window and waved at me to come inside. I waved back and stepped inside the cafe. I made my way to our table, and as soon as I sat down, a waiter came over with my usual cup of ceylon.

"Just like magic," I laughed. "Thank you," I told the waiter who inclined his head and murmured, "You're welcome."

I took a sip noticed that Anna and Merlin were exchanging glances in a way that was starting to make me feel nervous.

"Uh-oh," I said as I set down my cup. "Why do I feel like you two are up to something that involves me and that I won't like it?"

"Nonsense," Anna had propped her chin on her fist and was staring at me with a disarmingly cheeky smile. "We've only just met, why would you think that we have something sinister planned?"

"Yeah," Merlin drawled, a just-as-mischievous smile on his lips. "I mean just because Anna lunged at your boobs when you first met doesn't automatically mean that she's up to no good."

"Ignore Merlin," Anna said in a dry voice, her eyes still on me. "I always do."

"She's lying," Merlin deadpanned. "I'm all she thinks about."

"Okay kids," I put up both hands in a placating manner as I tried to keep myself from laughing. "What is it that you need from me?"

"We need you to come with us to a party," Merlin said quickly. I can't really say for sure, but I could swear that he was trying to suppress a grin.

"Why?" I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "You just said that we barely know each other."

"Oh, it's not personal," Anna said and grimaced as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Wait, let me rephrase that. What I meant to say is that I," she paused for a beat before continuing. "I work for a company that supports small businesses and every spring they host a party to introduce business owners to each other."

I took another sip of my tea and regarded what Anna just told me.

_"A company,"_ a voice said in my head. _"Suuuuure."_

"It's sort of a mixer," Anna said. "It helps small businesses flourish and in turn gives our company a micro-concept of market trends."

"And how does Merlin factor into this?" Anna had done all the talking while Merlin just sat there looking at Anna with limpid eyes.

"He's on the party committee," Anna said with a straight face.

"Yup," Merlin quickly agreed. "You know, see how many people are going to attend, figure out how many bags of crisps and how much punch we have to prepare, that sort of thing."

"Well, how can I say no to that?" I smiled. "Okay, thank you for the invitation. I would love to attend."

"Yay!" Anna actually clapped her hands a little at this. "Give me your number and I'll send you the directions to the venue, oh and you can bring a friend along if you want."

I thought that was bit too much considering this was an official function, but then Anna doesn't seem to be one to hold back on what she feels. I I wrote my mobile number down on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

"When will this party take place?" I asked.

"Next Tuesday," Merlin said.

"All right," I smiled widely. "I'll be there."

"Lovely," Anna said and raised her cup in salute to...Merlin?

Merlin duplicated the gesture and while I was a little taken aback (I mean, who does that, really?), I mimicked them and said, "Cheers!"

"So, Gwen," Merlin said turning to me. "Do you have a boyfriend?

I sputtered and looked at him. "What?"

"Or girlfriend," he said hastily.

"No boyfriend," I said shortly.

"And girlfriend?" Morgana asked the question this time.

"Out of the question," I answered. "I am so straight that it's embarrassing sometimes." I gave a small chuckle before speaking again. "And what is this, Gang up on Gwen Day?"

"We're just curious," Morgana said in an voice that was all innocence and sunshine. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"A shrink after this conversation is over," I said in a dry voice.

"Hmmm," Merlin said, taking a sip from his cup.

"Lovely," Morgana said, and I definitely saw her give Merlin a quick wink.

Oh God, why do I feel like I just walked into a lion's den?


	9. Chapter 9

**-9-**

Merlin and Morgana sat at the cafe table after Gwen left. She had received a phone call that cut their afternoon short-something about a thesis meeting at the University and excused herself. With Gwen gone, Merlin and Morgana soon got down to the business of discussing step two of their grand master plan.

"Morgana," Merlin began. "As long as we're on the subject of great interruptions, remind me again why we're doing this."

Morgana raised an elegant eyebrow and sat back in her chair. "We need to dislodge the iron rod that seems to be permanently stuck up Arthur's ass," she said simply.

"And how does Gwen fit into this?" Merlin's forehead was a map of confused lines.

"Gwen will do it for us," Morgana pronounced.

"The mental image of that is disgusting," was all Merlin could reply.

Morgana gave a small chuckle. She did rather think that it made Gwen sound like a plumber.

"I love Arthur," she said softly. "Even though I show it in a roundabout way. Seeing him now, being constantly under Father's shadow...it's killing him, Merlin."

Merlin looked at the woman seated across him. Displays of sentimentality were uncharacteristic of Morgana, she usually hid whatever she was feeling with a joke or a sneer.

"Arthur was always so fun to be around," Morgana continued. "I took the mickey out of him when we were growing up-he rose to the bait and gave as much as he got!" Her voice was becoming more passionate now.

"But the last three years," she shook her head and sighed. "He has to have something good, something beautiful in his life or he's just going to fade away."

"And Gwen...," the question was evident in Merlin's tone.

"She reminds me of mom," Morgana looked at Merlin and in her eyes was a softness that made Merlin catch his breath. "There's a light about her that Arthur needs. I don't know Merlin," she sighed. "I just know that they have to meet each other."

"And how do you know that?" Merlin asked. "This is a little loopy Morgs, even for you."

Merlin knew that he wasn't getting the complete picture, and he wanted to know everything before he plowed headlong into this scheme.

Morgana looked steadily at Merlin and then dropped her eyes. When she looked back up, he saw the familiar glint of mischief that was her trademark.

"Gwen is LadyInLavender."

"Say what?" Merlin was confused.

Morgana told Merlin about the story and the e-mails. With each revelation, Merlin's eyebrows shot further skyward until he resembled a startled fish. He knew because Morgana told him so.

"Let me get this straight," he said after Morgana was done. "Answer with a simple yes or no, and please, tell me if I get anything confused."

"Okay," Morgana said.

"Arthur-Prince Perfect-is obsessed with a story someone wrote about him?"

"Yes."

"This someone is LadyInLavender."

"Yes."

"Who just happens to be Gwen."

"Yes."

"And he sought her out."

"Yes."

"_He_," Merlin emphasized the word. "Got in touch with _her_."

"Yes."

"He wants to get to know her."

"Yes," Morgana was starting to grit her teeth.

"He, Arthur, wants to know who she, LadyInLavender who turns out to be Gwen, really is."

"Get on with it Merlin," Morgana snarled.

"So we have to get them together," Merlin said quickly.

"Correct."

"How does that help us with the bet?"

"The bet has nothing to do with this..."

"Why not?" Merlin protested. "Do you know how many hours I've spent trying to read that stupid book and trying to find the right words..."

"Merlin," Morgana cut into Merlin's tirade. "The bet has nothing to do with this directly..."

Merlin started to protest again but Morgana put a hand up to stop him from speaking.

"But when they get together, attention will shift from these writers pairing Arthur with every fictional female in the universe, to just Gwen with Arthur," Morgana's smile was brilliant. "And really, how many stories of perfect couples can you make up, hmmm?"

"Huh?" Merlin was confused. He liked the epic love scheme part, but the rest was just blah-blah-blah to him.

"People get tired of perfect couples, Merlin," Morgana spoke slowly. "And when they get tired of them, they will naturally turn to me."

"Us," Merlin corrected.

"Fine, us," Morgana gave in.

"You said when they get together," Merlin recalled Morgana's words. "Shouldn't that be an 'if'? As in, 'if they get together?'"

"No ifs," Morgana said. "I meant 'when'. 'If' does not factor into this."

Merlin considered this. He rather liked the concept of being more notorious, he'd been Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes for far too long.

"Sign me up," he said. "I'm in."

Morgana smiled and got out her phone. She pressed a few buttons and waited for a call to connect.

"Hello, Arthur," her tone was silky and even as she spoke into her mobile. "I've found you a wife."


	10. Chapter 10

**-10-**

The morning of the party started off normally. Tuesdays were slow days at the store so Ella and I spent much of the morning opening boxes of inventory and listing everything in the store's database.

"Oof! These things are heavy," I grunted as I hoisted a particularly heavy box from the floor to a table.

"See that letter on the top, there?" Ella pointed to the big E written in black ink on one of the box's top flaps. "That's E for Elyan. He'll be doing all the heavy lifting for us."

"Oh, good," I wiped a hand over my sweaty forehead and expelled a breath. "As much as I love how all this lifting is helping me get toned arms, I don't fancy throwing my back out."

We both laughed and decided that we'd done enough power lifting for the morning. Ella went back to the store and I spent the rest of the day in the office going through receipts and poring over invoices. I was pretty much left by myself until I heard a knock on my door.

"Hey," Ella said, walking into my office. "Shouldn't you start getting ready?"

"Hmm?" I said, tearing my eyes away from the computer screen. "What was that?"

"Gwen," Ella perched on the edge of my table. "It's seven in the evening. What are you still doing here?"

"It's what?" I practically shrieked, seizing the small clock I had on my desk. "Damn, Ella. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did!" Ella said. "I texted you at four, five, and at six. Check your phone."

I did. "Damn," I said. "This is what I get for keeping it on vibrate."

I shut down the computer and tried to clear up my desk as quickly as I could.

"Can you manage?" I asked Ella.

She waved me away. "No problem," she said with a smile. "Just go get ready. I'll send you another text after everything is done here."

I gave her a quick hug and ran out the door. My flat was only a few blocks away from Tomes and as soon as I got inside, I was a flurry of activity. Soon enough, the primary preparations-meaning the getting clean part-was done and I was standing in front of my closet pulling out what was arguably the most beautiful dress I owned.

It didn't come from a designer label, goodness knows I could never afford one, but it was made especially for me.

I had once seen a beautiful beaded little black dress by Sarmi and fell in love. This dress was inspired by that: round neckline, sleeveless, tiered skirt, and a darling sash to cinch the wearer's waist.

I had only worn it once and I remember feeling like a princess when I did, so it made absolute sense that I wore it tonight. Anna may have left out what corporation she worked for, but if things happen the way I hoped they would, I may get a glimpse of Arthur Pendragon tonight. He will most likely not notice me at all, but I will see him, and I just want to look perfect for that one moment.

It took a while for me to dry and style my hair and put on makeup, but looking at myself in the mirror after putting in all that effort, I just had to smile. Vanity was never my thing, but even I had to admit that, tonight, I looked quite good.

My cab arrived just in time and soon I was making my way to the glass and steel fortress that was the headquarters of Pendragon Industries. Uh-huh, I was going to corner "Anna" for this.

I paid my fare, stepped into the elegant lobby, gave my name to the huge security guy ("Percival" his name tag read) and was escorted to a waiting elevator.

It was a short ride to the eighteenth floor, and as as the doors of the elevator dinged open, I was greeted by a sight that was straight out of an old Hollywood movie.

The party was being held on an open-air deck. Fairy lights were strung on elegant topiaries, small clusters of tables were strewn all over the place, uniformed waiters made the rounds while carrying silver trays of champagne and canapés, and everything was all beautifully lit.

I walked out of the elevator feeling as if I'd been transported into a fairy tale. The city's skyline was breathtaking from eighteen stories up. Buildings were lit and everything looked dream-like.

It didn't take long for me to find Anna-well, actually she found me.

"Gwen!" She called out as she wove her way through groups of people. "You're here!"

If I thought that Anna during the day was beautiful, tonight, in this beautiful setting and with her swathed in clothes fit for a princess, she was stunning. A few weeks ago, I may have put my head down and wanted to fade into the background, thinking myself unworthy to stand beside a woman who looked like her, tonight I held my head high. Wearing this dress made me feel beautiful, and with that came a small measure of confidence.

"So, this is your small company, huh?" I gave her a small smile and raised a brow as Anna reached my side and bussed my cheek.

"Yeah," Anna drawled. "You figured it out?"

"I work in a bookstore," I reminded her. "It was easy to find out who you really were."

"So...you're not mad?" She sounded worried.

"Nope," I told her. "But do I still have to call you Anna?"

"I think it's safe to drop that," Morgana (I suppose I can call her that now) linked her arm through mine and we navigated our way through the party.

Most of the night was spent with Morgana introducing me to several people, but after the first dozen names, I found it hard to keep track of who they were. Morgana must've sensed this because she led me to a table and we both sat down.

"Wow," I said. "If this is a small get-together, I wonder how your big events look like."

"Stick around," she said with a smile as she waved over a tray-laden waiter. "You just might find out."

We each took a tall glass of champagne from the waiter and gave each other a small toast. "Cheers!" we said in unison and took a sip of the bubbly liquid.

"Gwen!" A voice said behind me and I turned to see Merlin. "You look lovely."

"I could say the same about you," I smiled. "You look very dashing, doesn't he Morgana?"

Merlin pretended to preen by straightening the lapels of his jacket and smoothing his already slicked-back hair.

I turned to to look at Morgana and was rewarded with an image of this sophisticated woman staring at Merlin with her mouth agape. A slightly strangled sound came out of her-probably the answer to my question.

"O-kay," I drawled. "I need to go to the ladies' room, can one of you point me in that direction?"

Both Morgana and Merlin indicated the way with a jerk of their heads, their eyes still on each other. I was barely able to contain my laughter as I made my way to the powder room.

A short while later, I came back to the table and saw that my two hosts' hands were linked and that their cheeks were a lovely shade of pink.

"Hmmm," I said, a sly tone to my voice. "I must've missed something important."

Morgana peered at Merlin through her lashes.

"Yes," she said. "You did."

Merlin smiled at Morgana and then checked his watch.

"Almost time for the speeches," he excused himself and got up. "You two will be here when I get back, right? I just have to prepare Prince Perfect and King Dragon." He grinned at Morgana and I remembered the nicknames used to refer to her father and brother.

_"Oh god," _I thought. _"Arthur Pendragon will be on that stage."_ I swallowed.

"Uh, Morgana," I said after Merlin left.

"Yes?" She turned to me with a brilliant smile.

"What's going to happen now?"

"Oh, my dad and brother will be making speeches," she rolled her eyes. "So boring, but we do this every year."

I watched as both Uther Pendragon and Arthur took to the stage and made their way to the podium that bore the Pendragon Industries' crest.

"And then?" I pressed.

"Then they make the rounds and shake everyone's hand, have the usual photo ops, blahblah."

The speeches were beginning now but they barely registered on my radar.

"Photo ops?" I squeaked. "With the business owners? One on one?"

"Yeah," Morgana's voice was nonchalant. "But it's usually just Arthur now because dad's retired."

Morgana must've seen the abject panic on my face because she suddenly turned around to face me.

"Gwen," I could tell she was concerned but there was also a smile on her face. "You're green."

Then it all clicked.

"You set this up."

"Me?" Morgana tried to look innocent, but all she accomplished was an expression of someone whose plans were coming together.

"Oh my god," I whispered and clutched her arm. "You seriously set me up."

"Ow," Morgana slowly disentangled my fingers from her person. "Look, I know about the story and the fascination with Arthur..."

I whimpered.

"But," Morgana said quickly. "That doesn't mean I'm up to anything too sinister."

I swear I was about to burst into tears. It was one thing to feel humiliated because your friend found out you had a crush on her brother, but it was usually 13-year-old schoolgirls who had this problem. I was a grown woman for heaven's sake!

"Look, Gwen," Morgana took my shaking hands in hers and spoke in a soothing voice. "This is just an introduction. I am not pushing you at anyone."

"I don't believe you," I was close to panicking. I was never good around guys I found attractive. I ended up rambling and scaring them away.

"Okay," Morgana sighed. "Fine, maybe I am. A little. But, if this is what it takes to get over your adoration of Arthur-believe me when I say he already has enough women fawning over him-then maybe it's a good thing."

"Get over him?" I blurted. "Why the hell would I want to get over Arthur Pendragon?"

I. Did not. Just say that. I buried my face in my hands.

"Gwen," Mogana said. "Pull yourself together. Here he comes."

I looked up and there he was. I guess the speeches ended just as I was having my anxiety attack. Arthur Pendragon was making a beeline for us and lord, did he look gorgeous in a tuxedo. If anything, his eyes were bluer and, in the gorgeous lighting of the party, his hair was a golden halo that framed his perfect features.

"Oh, all right," I mumbled to the woman beside me who was grinning like the Cheshire cat. "At least I look good, right?"

"You're perfect," Morgana gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. He won't be able to keep his eyes off you."

In no time at all, Arthur was bussing his sister's cheek.

"Arthur," I heard her say. "Meet Guinevere. Gwen, this is my brother, Arthur."

"Hello, Arthur," I extended my hand so I could shake his. "Thank you for inviting me."

He took my hand, and I swear an electric current passed from his to mine. And it had nothing to do with static.

**_AN: _**_I realized that it was a bit mean of me for saying that I was going to post this chapter next weekend, so here it is! I hope you all enjoyed the Arwen moment in this one, and as always, I'd love to know what you think._

_For the record, here's the Sarmi creation that Guinevere's dress was based on: i49*tinypic*com/153txcn*jpg_


	11. Chapter 11

**_AN: _**_Hello everyone, I come bearing a gift. I've actually finished writing _Telling Tales_, I'm just drawing it out because I love reading your comments. And I'm apologizing in advance because things have come up and the chapters following this won't be posted until after a few days. But given what's in chapter 11, I hope you forgive me ;) Anyway, I hope you like this chapter; let me know what you think! - BNQ_

**-11-**

"Arthur," Morgana greeted her brother who was now by her side. "Meet Guinevere. Gwen, this is my brother, Arthur."

Arthur looked at the petite woman who was extending a small hand for him to shake.

"Hello, Arthur," her voice was soft and warm and Arthur forgot what else she said because all he could think about was how soft and perfect her hand felt in this and how beautiful she looked with the fairy lights all around her.

"Uh," his voice cracked and he gave a small cough to hide his discomfort. "I'm sorry, what was that? Forgive me, the band was loud."

To his left, Morgana snorted because the band just took a break and the piped-in music was anything but loud.

Guinevere gave a small laugh and it took all of Arthur's willpower not to push Morgana out of the way so he could have her all to himself.

_"Woah,"_ he mused. _"Where did that thought come from?"_

"I said thank you for the invitation," she had withdrawn her hand from his and Arthur was waging an internal battle about taking it back.

"Arthur," Merlin joined their little group and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Great speech! Short, direct to the point, and perfect. Of course, I wrote it so what else could it be."

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur drew out his friend's name.

"And I see you've met Gwen," Merlin moved to give Gwen a hug and Arthur's jaw clenched involuntarily.

"Morgana," Merlin bussed her cheek and Arthur smiled when he saw how his sister blushed. "Would you care for a dance?"

"I'd love to," Morgana took Merlin's elbow and gave Gwen a wink. "See you later Gwen."

Arthur watched his sister and best friend and sister make their way to the dance floor. Morgana all but melted when Merlin took her in his arms.

"They look good together," Gwen said.

Arthur turned to see Gwen smiling at the couple who was obviously besotted with each other. An idea struck him.

"Guinevere," he offered his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

She looked up at him and her full mouth formed a small 'o'.

"Oh," she looked surprised and confused and Arthur suddenly felt awkward. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at dancing."

"Me either," he confessed and took her hand anyway. Damned if it didn't feel perfect in his. "Maybe we can be clumsy together."

She gave a small laugh that stopped abruptly when a soft buzzing sound emanated from the small evening bag she held in her hand.

"Excuse me," she said softly as she took out her mobile phone. "I'm sorry; I have to take this call."

She lightly touched Arthur's arm in apology as she turned away to speak to the person on the other line.

"_Damned if that didn't feel right, too_," Arthur thought.

On the dance floor, Morgana wrenched her eyes from Merlin's long enough to look at the couple on the other side of the deck.

"Look at Arthur," she murmured to her dance partner.

"Good lord," Merlin murmured, his lips close to Morgana's ear. Her shiver wasn't lost on him. "He looks like he wants to eat her up."

"I told you, didn't I?" Morgana whispered back. "I told you they'd be perfect for each other."

"Yes you did, love," the endearment slipped from Merlin's lips.

"Love?" Morgana asked, turning her head to gaze into Merlin's eyes once again. "Did you just say 'love'?"

"Yes, I did," Merlin's eyes didn't waver from Morgana's. "Do you mind? Or would you prefer sweetheart? Darling, perhaps?"

With each endearment, Merlin's head dipped a little closer to hers.

It might be the moonlight, the music, or the champagne, but Morgana wasn't questioning this development.

"Love is good," she said softly, a smile now on her lips. "Love is just perfect." She wrapped her arms around Merlin's neck and they forgot all about Gwen and Arthur.


	12. Chapter 12

**-12-**

"Damn," I muttered and I ended the call and turned back to the man who had been on my mind for quite a while. "Talk about bad timing."

I put my phone back in the small beaded bag and sighed. The one time I get to dance with Prince Charming and it's midnight.

"Is anything wrong?" Arthur asked as a small crease appeared on his forehead.

"No, no," I exhaled heavily. "It's just that I have to be heading home."

"Why?" a smile played on his lips "Is your carriage about to turn into a pumpkin?"

"Nothing like that," I laughed. "Our store assistant is having trouble setting the alarm and she can't leave until the code is put in."

I sighed again. This is just plain rotten luck.

"Does anyone else know the code?"

"Just me and my brother," I replied. "But I'd rather not give it over the phone."

I expelled a frustrated breath and looked to the dance floor. Morgana and Merlin were wrapped in each other's arms and it seemed rude to interrupt them when they were so clearly loving their time together.

I chewed at my lower lip and considered leaving without saying goodbye, but that just seemed improper. But a little luck was thrown my way when the music cut off and the master of ceremonies announced the return of the band.

I saw Merlin kiss Morgana's hand before tucking it into his elbow and clapping with the rest of the people on the dance floor. Soon, they were back to where Arthur and I were standing.

"What did I just see?" I teased Merlin whose face was split by a wide smile.

"I don't know, Gwen," he said. "What _did_ you see?

Morgana raised an eyebrow and dared me to answer.

_"Even in the throes of romance, she was still cheeky,"_ I thought.

"Well, I saw the need for you to start thinking about getting a marriage license, Emrys," Arthur practically growled, but there was amusement in his eyes.

"We'll see," Merlin demurred and pulled Morgana closer to him.

"So," Morgana began, looking me straight in the eye. "What happened while we were...away?

I raised an eyebrow at her. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of teasing me while her brother was still beside me.

"I received a phone call from Ella," I said. "And she's having a little trouble at the store."

"Oh no," Morgana said, concern now in her voice. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Oh, I just need to set the alarm for the night," I reassured her. The last thing I wanted to do was spoil their evening. "It's nothing big, it's just...inconvenient."

I couldn't help but glance at Arthur as I said the word. He was still staring quietly at me. What was wrong?

I self-consciously put a hand to my hair and was surprised when I felt fingers brush mine away. Arthur. I looked up and saw that it was him. Arthur slightly twirled a strand of my hair around his long finger before tucking it behind my ear.

"Um," _damn voice, work!_ "I'm afraid I have to go. I'm so sorry I can't stay longer."

"That's too bad," Morgana frowned and went over to hug me. "But thank you for being here."

"Thank you again for inviting me," I whispered back.

Then I was being hugged by Merlin.

"You two look good together," he whispered in my ear.

"You're delusional," I whispered back. "But good luck with Morgana."

He let me go and as he did, he gave me a wink.

"Can I give you a ride?" Arthur took a step closer to me. His eyes were dark and his voice had dropped to a rumble.

"No, I'll be fine," I touched his arm again. "_Dammit Gwen, stop doing that. He's already looking at you strangely."_

"I suspect that it won't be difficult to get a cab from here," I smiled at my new friends.

"Won't you even tell me what store you're going back to?" Arthur threw the question at me. "Just so, you know, I'll know..."

His voice trailed away and it was evident that he had nothing to say that could save him from his outburst.

"I can't do that," I had to laugh at his confused expression. "That would be telling."

Was it my imagination or did his eyes grow a bit wide when I said that?

I gave Merlin and Morgana each a kiss on the cheek (with Morgana whispering "someone's hooked" as I did) but and hesitated a bit when I got to Arthur. He stepped closer and was obviously anticipating his turn.

_"Screw it",_ I thought and brought my lips to his cheek. I must have miscalculated because my lips landed on the corner of his mouth.

"Um, right," I said as I pulled away. "Good night Morgana, Merlin, Arthur. I suppose I'll see you around."

I turned to walk to the bank of elevators and didn't see Arthur whip around to glare at his sister and best friend who were trying their hardest to suppress the giggles that were shaking their forms.


	13. Chapter 13

**_AN:_**_ Your comments and notes give me life :) Thank you for sticking by _Telling Tales _this long. There are only a few chapters after this, but I do have another story written up that I hope you'll enjoy as well. As always, I'd love to know what you think about this chapter. - BNQ_

**-13-**

"All right, you two," Arthur growled at Merlin and Morgana. "Who is she?"

Morgana and Merlin looked too pleased with themselves and this was driving Arthur up the wall.

"She introduced herself, right?" Morgana's voice was nonchalant, but there was mischief in her eyes. "Her name's Gwen-"

"Guinevere," Arthur was still growling. "Her name is Guinevere."

"All right, Guinevere," Morgana mimicked the way Arthur said her friend's name and all but collapsed in giggles.

"Who is she Morgana?" Arthur's voice was quiet.

Morgana stopped laughing and looked at her brother. He was dead serious. Morgana decided that she liked this development because if this is how Arthur was after 10 minutes with Gwen-pardon, Guinevere-she can just imagine how he'll be after an entire evening with her.

"Why?" there was a needling quality to her voice that got to Arthur.

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

"No, seriously Arthur," Morgana crossed her arms over her chest. "Why do you need to know? She already gave you her name."

Arthur swore under his breath. How was he going to explain to his sister that it took him all of 15 seconds after meeting Guinevere to decide that all he wanted to do was be with her for as long as she'd have him?

Finally, it was Merlin who threw him a life vest.

"Her name is Guinevere Leodegrance," Merlin began. He was beginning to feel sorry for Arthur. "Her family owns a bookstore and she was helping me write my story about Morgana."

"Was?" Morgana asked. "What do you mean 'was'?"

"Oh, I finished your story days ago," Merlin smiled.

"Can I read it?" Morgana asked, in obvious awe at this side of Merlin she hasn't seen before.

"Not until you've finished yours," Merlin touched her chin. "And we agreed that we'd publish it on the site."

"Will you two focus?" Arthur practically snarled. "You two are..."

"Making you jealous?" Morgana finished Arthur's sentence and her grin was almost evil. "You want to _daaaaaate_ Gwen. You want to _kiiiiiiss_ Gwen."

"Morgana, I swear to God..." Arthur's voice trailed off and he sighed in frustration. "I...want to get to know her better."

Well, Arthur thought. It wasn't a complete lie. He wanted to get to know her better, he wanted to date her, he wanted to know if her lips were as soft as they looked, he wanted to know what names she wanted for their kids...

"...don't you think?" Merlin's voice broke through Arthur's reverie.

"What?" Arthur focused and saw a smug smile on Merlin's face.

Morgana was nearly doubled over in silent laughter, her elegant gown a contrast to her undignified posture.

"I said," Merlin replied. "Gwen, I mean Guinevere looked lovely, didn't she?"

"Absolutely."

"But black is too plain a colour on her," Merlin continued.

"What the hell are you going on about, Emrys?"

"What he means, my dear, dense brother," Morgana straightened and once again regained her composure. "Is that Gwen would look more beautiful in other colours-"

"Are you her stylists or something?" Arthur interrupted Morgana's rambling. "Because she looked bloody perfect-"

"Like, say, lavender," Morgana said, completely ignoring Arthur's tirade. "Yes, she would be a lovely lady in lavender."

Arthur goggled at the smirking couple before him.

"No way," were the first words that came out of his mouth. "You mean Guinevere...G...wait, how did you know about this?"

Morgana simply raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Nevermind," Arthur said. He cast a look around the deck and saw that his father was nowhere to be seen and it was safe to scarper.

"I have to go," he said as he ran to the elevators.

"Well, that was rude," Morgana commented as she watched her brother bolt from the party. "He didn't even say thank you or goodbye."

"Party's winding down anyway," Merlin commented.

They both looked around and saw that the crowd had thinned considerably.

"Give it another 30 minutes and this place will be clear," he laced his fingers with Morgana's. "Are you up for a nightcap?"

"I'm up if you're up," Morgana teased.

"Promises, promises," Merlin smiled and dipped his head to capture Morgana's lips in a sweet kiss.


	14. Chapter 14

**-14-**

The cab ride back to Tomes was quick as the late hour meant that there was barely any traffic in the streets.

I kept thinking back to Arthur and how my hand felt in his. It was almost, well, magical how perfect it felt. And thinking about how that kiss could have been was making me swoon.

The cab soon had me at Tomes and as soon as I walked through the door, a blonde comet attacked me and enveloped me in a bear hug.

"Oh, Gwen!" Ella said. "I'm so glad you're here. I couldn't leave because I couldn't set the alarm and I know you and Elyan don't give out the code over the phone but I really need to go home because I'm starving and it's cold and..."

"Calm down Ella," I said. I disentangled myself from her embrace and walked to where the alarm was. A few taps on the electronic keypad and the small digital screen started flashing the "armed" warning.

"There," I made a show of dusting off my hands. "All set. You can go home now."

"I'm really sorry about ruining your evening," Ella said and I actually thought she was going to cry. "And you were so excited, too. Oh, and your dress...you look so beautiful."

"Don't worry about it," I reassured Ella whose lower lip was beginning to tremble. "Why are you so emotional, anyway?"

She held up a paperback.

"Johanna Lindsey," a few tears leaked out from Ella's eyes. "Oh, Gwen it's so...tragically romantic. You see there's this girl who's running a tavern by herself, but she turns out to be a secret princess, and there's this prince who comes and wants to marry her..."

Ella's voice faded away as she, once again, got carried away by her emotions.

I was starting to get worried.

"Ella," I smoothed the young girl's hair back from her face. "Are you okay?"

"No," Ella whimpered and looked at me with teary eyes.

I made her sit on one of the stools behind the counter and held her hand as she tried to put her feelings under control.

"Ella?" Elyan's voice suddenly boomed from somewhere in the store. I could hear him running to where we were.

"Elyan?" I said as my brother rounded the corner and made his way to where Ella and I were talking.

What the heck was going on here?

"Gwen," Elyan said as he enveloped me in a hug so tight I could barely breathe. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm goo-" I stopped talking when I saw Elyan walk over to where Ella was seated. "What's going on here?"

I looked on as Elyan spoke to Ella in a voice that was too soft for me to hear. I saw him envelop her in a hug which she practically melted into. _Whaaaaaat?_

Finally, Elyan turned to me (while his arm was still around Ella's shoulders).

"A couple of teenage boys were here this afternoon," Elyan began. "They were giving Ella a hard time and I had to throw them out."

"They came back just as I was closing," Ella was getting tearful again. "Said all sorts of horrible things so I forced them out and tried to set the alarm, but I couldn't and I was scared."

"Is that why you were in the back office?" I asked Ella.

She nodded and scooted closer to Elyan.

"Ella," I asked cautiously. "Did they hurt you?"

She shook her head.

"It's so silly," she said, a watery laugh bubbling out of her. "They're kids-all younger than me, but I'm the one running for cover."

Elyan and I sat with Ella until she calmed down, and just as we were getting ready to leave ("So gallant," I teased him Elyan after he said that he wasn't letting Ella or I go home alone.), we heard a knock on the door.

We all turned at the sound and saw a shadowy figure at the door.

"Is he...waving?" Ella squinted.

"I don't know," I said as I tried to see just who was outside.

"Stay here," Elyan said to the both of us as he went to the door to check who this person was. "Keep your hand on the phone just in case.

"He's crazy, whoever he is," Ella muttered, her fear now mostly gone. "It's almost midnight."

"Gwen," Elyan walked back into the store and right behind him was...

"Arthur bloody Pendragon!" Ella blurted, her eyes goggling at our late night visitor.

"Uh, yes. He's here to see Gwen," Elyan looked slightly embarrassed and took Ella by the hand. "Come on, Ella. Let's have some tea in Gwen's office."

"Okay," Ella replied, but her neck craned to look at us as Elyan led her to the other room.

"Hi," I said to the gorgeous vision that was now standing in front of me.

"Hi," Arthur said. He started to give a wave, seemed to think better of it and ran his hand through his hair.

_"Make him do it again,"_ said a voice in my head. _"It's sexy."_

Yes it was.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. "How did you know about the store?"

Arthur ducked his head, his ears a little red from...embarrassment? Then he rubbed his jaw and peered at me from under his lashes. Such simple actions but each one made my heart flutter uncontrollably.

"Did a little Internet research after you left," he sounded a little shy as he said this.

Was he scuffing the toe of his shoe on the floor? Why did that seem adorable to me?

"Why?" I asked.

This time, he looked me straight in the eye.

"Because you're LadyInLavender," he said simply.

My heart flew to my throat just as I started praying for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

"And I'm A.P.," he moved closer as he said this.

I sat on a stool and put my hands to my cheeks. I was sure they were red because they felt warm under my fingers.

Arthur took one of my hands and linked his fingers with mine.

"I think it's time we met," his voice had once again dropped to that sexy rumble and I found myself being unable to do anything but stare at him.

Arthur pulled me up from my seat, wrapped his other arm around my waist, and led me to a dance where we were the only ones who could hear the music.


	15. Chapter 15

**_AN: _**_Hello! I just want to let all of you know that there are only two more chapters of _Telling Tales_ left to be published after this one and I want to draw out the end for as long as I possibly can ;) But before that, here's chapter 15, let me know what you think _—_ BNQ_

**-15-**

Arthur was sure that he has never had a moment as perfect as this. Not when he graduated from university, not when he finally convinced his father that he would be a worthy successor to his business empire, and not even when he first beat Morgana at a game of chess.

None of those events meant as much as this—with him in this almost-empty bookstore, holding the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in his life, dancing like they were characters in an old Hollywood movie.

He looked down at Guinevere. She was such a petite thing, really. Even in heels, the top of her head came to just under his chin. Just the perfect height for cuddling. And by that, Arthur meant only with him.

Arthur could see questions forming in Guinevere's soft brown eyes. He knew they were coming, and all he hoped was that the night would stretch on long enough for him to answer them all.

"Are you surprised?" he asked her.

"A little," Guinevere answered. A smile bowed her lips and Arthur's heart started to beat a little faster. He'd met her just a few hours ago and already he knew that he would do anything to have her smile at him like that for as long as he lived.

"Did Merlin or Morgana put you up to this?" Was Guinevere's first query.

"No," he said and pulled her a little closer. "They told me who you were, but it was my idea to run after you."

"Why?" a slight frown creased her forehead as she asked the question.

"Because I knew I had to," Arthur gave a slight shrug. "Something just...told me that if I let you walk out tonight, I would end up regretting it for the rest of my life."

She was quiet after his admission which worried Arthur slightly.

_"She might think that I'm some kind of crazy stalker,"_ he mused. _"Well, the crazy part might be true."_

"I'm glad you did," Guinevere said this so softly that Arthur wasn't sure that he heard her correctly. "I'm glad you're here."

She moved to wrap her arms around his waist and lay her head against his chest. Arthur pulled her closer and buried his face in her hair.

_"I can stay here forever,"_ he thought.

"I hear bells," Guinevere suddenly said. She raised her head and looked at him.

"Hmmm?" Arthur muttered, his voice muffled because he refused to lift his head from its very comfortable spot. "They say that happens when you meet the man of your dr..."

"No," Guinevere's laugh was throaty as she put her hand over the lapel of his jacket. "I think it's your phone."

She started to move from the circle of his arms, but Arthur wouldn't have it. He used one hand to fish out his mobile phone from the inside pocket of his jacket, while his other arm kept its place around Guinevere's waist.

"Damn," he said when he saw that Morgana was calling him. "What is it Morgana?

"Is Gwen with you?" Was the first question she hurled at her little brother.

"Yes," he looked at Guinevere whose eyes were now sparkling with mirth. "She's right here."

"Give her the phone," Morgana's tone was bossy.

"You called me to talk to Guinevere?" Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why didn't you just call her phone?"

"Because she rarely takes it out of silent mode, prat," Morgana retorted. "Now, keep quiet and let me talk to my future sister-in-law."

"It's for you," Arthur said as he handed over his phone to Guinevere. He decided he rather liked Morgana's train of thought.

Guinevere's eyes widened as she took the phone from Arthur.

"Hi, Morgana," she said. "Yes, I'm all right. Our shop assistant had trouble with some kids earlier and she got scared. No, nothing like that. I'm here with my brother and Arthur, we should be fine."

Arthur kept Guinevere close to him as she spoke with his sister. He was slightly concerned when he heard about the store assistant (Ella?), but knew that with Elyan here, no harm would come to her.

Almost unconsciously, Arthur's thumb began to draw small circles somewhere near Guinevere's hip. She blushed prettily and put one hand on his. Arthur's hand stilled and he was afraid that he had taken it too far. They were practically strangers after all, no matter how perfect she felt and moved in his arms. But when Guinevere laced her fingers with his, his doubts flew out the window and he gathered her as close to him as he possibly could.

"All right," Arthur heard Guinevere say, and from her tone, it sounded like her conversation with Morgana was coming to a close. "Arthur, she wants to talk to you."

She gave him the phone and Arthur sighed. All he wanted was for Morgana to hang up so he could be alone with Guinevere again.

"Yes?" He said into the phone.

"Don't take that tone with me," Morgana said. "I just want you to know that I'm taking Gwen's side in this relationship. If you hurt her—in any way—I will cut off your..."

"Bye Morgana!" Arthur practically yelled into the phone and cut his sister off in mid-sentence. He really didn't need to hear what appendage she was going to target. He put the phone back in his pocket and moved so that he and Guinevere were face-to-face once again.

"What was that about?" Guinevere said with a laugh.

"Just a reminder," Arthur shrugged.

"Of what?"

"That you had better make an honest man out of me or she'll have my, er, head," Arthur smiled at Guinevere as he said this.

Guinevere threw back her head and laughed as Arthur drew her back in his arms to continue their dance.

Unbeknownst to the couple, Ella and Elyan were observing them through the closed-circuit TV monitors in Guinevere's office.

Elyan was still holding Ella's hand and while neither of them wanted to say anything about it, they both rather liked the feeling.

"Look," Ella said and she pointed at the screen to Arthur "He's down for the count."

Elyan saw how gently Arthur held his sister in his arms and how Gwen was idly toying with the lapels of his jacket as they talked and moved across the floor.

"Gwen is, too," Elyan said with a smile.

Elyan was still puzzled by this, I mean, how did Gwen know Arthur Pendragon? And why did he say "I want permission to marry Guinevere" when Elyan opened the door earlier? Elyan had said no, of course, but he agreed to let Arthur into the store.

"Invite me to the wedding?" Ella said absentmindedly as she saw Arthur twirl Guinevere around on their makeshift dance floor.

"Of course," Elyan said. He had always liked Ella, and it wasn't until tonight that he even dared admit how much.

He moved to tuck Ella into his arms and smiled as a sigh of contentment escaped her lips.

_"Just as we'll invite them to ours,"_ Elyan told himself, his attention now diverted from the dancing couple in the monitors to the blonde-haired angel he held in his arms.


	16. Chapter 16

**-16-**

Arthur and Guinevere spent a lot of time getting to know each other after that first night. There were meals and activities shared with Merlin and Morgana as well as Elyan and Ella (whose blossoming romance charmed everyone around them), and Guinevere's dad.

It took a little longer for Arthur to introduce Guinevere to Uther. Guinevere initially thought it was because Arthur was ashamed of her-what with having no social pedigree or a hefty bank account-but after one particularly tense evening that resulted in Guinevere asking whether or not he thought she was good enough for him, Arthur cracked and said he was scared of his father's disapproval.

"I can't have him say that he doesn't like you, Guinevere," he was sitting on the sofa in her apartment with his head bowed, looking utterly defeated.

"Why not?" Guinevere's eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "What is it about me that is so wrong, Arthur?"

"Nothing," Arthur was on his feet in a flash and had enveloped Guinevere in a hug so tight that it literally took her breath away.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Because he's not always warm and accepting," Arthur said. "And he's not beyond being cruel when things or people aren't up to his standards."

"And you think I won't be able to live up to his standards?" Guinevere was on the verge of a breakdown.

_"It can't end like this,"_ she thought. _"I won't let it."_

"Please understand, love," Arthur tried to calm down the woman he had silently devoted his heart to. "He's my father and, cruel or not, his opinions matter to me."

"But," Guinevere started to protest.

"But I will fight for you," Arthur's voice was fierce as he gently cupped Guinevere's face in his hands. "We will have lunch with him, I'll introduce you, and no matter what he says, Guinevere, we will walk out of that meeting together."

So the meeting with Uther Pendragon was set, and Arthur introduced Guinevere to the man who had both scared and inspired him his entire life.

Their fears were for naught as Uther immediately warmed to Guinevere. He was charming and candid, and for the first time in Arthur's life, he saw his father laughing like he had no care in the world.

When Guinevere excused herself for a while after they had finished their meal, Uther faced his son and told Arthur something that he would carry with him forever.

"She reminds me of your mother," Uther's eyes were bright with laughter. "You have the beginnings of something beautiful with her, son. Don't break her heart."

"I'd die first," Arthur told his father and he knew that it was the truth.

Then Uther reached into his pocket and drew out something small and square and velvet.

"I've kept this with me since you were born," Uther's voice was soft but serious. Arthur knew what his father meant just as he knew what was in the box. His mother died days after his birth and Uther had kept very few mementos of his late wife.

He handed the box to Arthur. "Open it," he said.

Arthur did and saw a beautiful diamond ring nestled within.

"I wasn't a wealthy man when I met your mother," Uther began. "I was young-younger than you, in fact-and I worked for her father. But when I saw Ygraine," Uther's voice grew even softer at the memory. "That one moment changed my whole world.

Arthur nodded. He knew exactly what his father meant; all it took was one magical moment with Guinevere as well.

"I loved your mother very much, son," Arthur heard his father say. "And I had to work very hard to show her father that I was worthy of his daughter. It took a while, but he gave us his blessing."

Uther motioned to the ring.

"That was the ring I gave your mother the night I asked her to marry me," his voice was still soft. "I thought that it would prove to her that I was a made man. That I could afford to keep her in the lifestyle she grew up in.

"She told me that she was disappointed in me, said that I was a fool to think that expensive gifts meant sincerity," Uther laughed at the memory. "She was smart, your mother, and she could cut me down to size faster than anyone I had ever met then or since."

Arthur's eyes stared into his father's.

"Son," Uther began again. "Are you here to ask me if I approve of Guinevere?"

"Yes," Arthur bowed his head as he said this.

"Then I am disappointed in you, Arthur."

"What do you mean?" Arthur said, raising his head as worry started to cloud his voice.

"Your sister cannot keep a secret to save her life, did you know that?"

"What did she do now?" Arthur's tone was wary.

"She regularly reported to me about you and Guinevere," Uther said, the smile back in his voice.

"And?" Arthur drew out the word.

"And you don't need my approval, Arthur. I need to ask Guinevere for hers."

"Ask me what?" Guinevere said as she walked back into the dining room of Uther's palatial estate.

Arthur quickly pocketed the ring and the velvet box.

"Whether or not you're brave enough to take Arthur on," Uther said in a dry tone.

Guinevere grinned. She wasn't sure about Uther Pendragon in the beginning, but now she knew she had an ally in the man his daughter called King Dragon.

"I'm up for the challenge, sir."

"Oh, that's how it's going to be," Arthur said. His eyes flashed with laughter. "Why don't you salute him, too?"

"You're not the boss of me, Arthur Pendragon," Guinevere said in a stern voice which was offset by the wide smile she wore.

"Correct, my dear," Uther stood up and offered his arm to the woman who had so beguiled his son. "I rather think you're his."

Arthur watched in awe as his father, the man so feared by businessmen the world over, basked in the attention bestowed to him by the woman who had stolen his heart.

His hand reached into his pocket and felt the cool metal of his mother's engagement ring. The way it warmed under his touch felt like a blessing.

"Thank you, mother," he whispered. "I'm glad you approve, too."


	17. Chapter 17

**_AN: _**_Here it is, the last chapter of _Telling Tales. _I'd like to thank all of you for reading, commenting, reviewing, and adding this story to your favorites list. Thank you for being so kind and encouraging. Let me know what you think of chapter 17._

_Major thanks to Lostinlaceandbrocade for the thumbs up :)_

**-17-**

"Arthur!" Elyan yelled, calling out to the man who recently became his future brother-in-law. "What's taking you so long?"

"I have to say that I enjoy hearing Arthur being bossed around," Merlin said.

"Where the hell is it?" Arthur's voice yelled back.

"Corkscrew?" Tom asked his son, amused at the banter that seemed to have transformed the two men from grown-ups into kids.

"Yes," Elyan said.

"Top drawer, near the cutting board."

Elyan yelled this out to Arthur again and they soon heard a "found it!"

"About time," Elyan grumbled and led everyone from the living room to the large dining room that was the center of his and Guinevere's childhood home.

They were celebrating Arthur and Guinevere's engagement. Uther had thought to host a dinner at some Michelin-starred restaurant, but after hearing from Morgana that Tom and Elyan were superb cooks, accepted their offer of a home-cooked meal instead.

Tom, Elyan, Merlin, and Arthur were now putting the final touches on the dinner, and all of them agreed that it was something any top chef would envy. From the rack of lamb down to the dessert, everything was perfect. All that was left was to wait for Guinevere, Morgana, Ella, and Uther to arrive. The group trooped back to the living room and waited for the rest to make an appearance.

Ella was the first to come in and Elyan flew to his girlfriend's side, stealing a few moments with her away from the prying eyes of everyone else.

Uther came in next; carrying with him a magnum of champagne that he said would be perfect for the toast to the newly-engaged couple. No one disagreed with him, of course.

Guinevere arrived and once again, Arthur found his self-control tested as she kissed him hello. All he wanted was to whisk her away and be the recepient of her undivided attention. They hadn't spent much time together lately, with Guinevere finishing her thesis (which had gotten top marks, mind you) and Arthur finalizing the takeover of Hengist Enterprises. This dinner will be the most time they will spend with each other in weeks.

"Hello darling," Guinevere purred as she kissed her fiance. "I've missed you."

"Guinevere," Arthur said her name in the way that reduced her knees to jelly. "Let's finish this dinner and you can show me just how much, okay?"

Guinevere winked at Arthur. "Deal," she said.

Finally, Morgana arrived with her usual dramatic flair and automatically made a beeline for Tom. She had liked Guinevere's dad upon meeting him and was often with him during get-togethers like these. She flung her arms around the burly man and hugged him until he was laughing and begging to be let go.

When Merlin came up to his girlfriend for his turn at a hug and a kiss, Morgana surprised him with a glare and a curl of her lip.

"You," her voice was deathly calm. "How dare you?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"This is going to be good," Uther said as he sat down to wait for the fireworks to begin.

"What did I do now?" Merlin may have looked confused but he knew exactly what Morgana was alluding to.

Morgana opened her purse and drew out a sheaf of papers.

"What the hell is this, Emrys?" She waved the papers in Merlin's face and willed herself to be calm.

"What's that?" Ella asked Elyan.

"I have no idea," Elyan was just as puzzled as his girlfriend. "But I think we're about to find out."

Morgana whirled around to look at Guinevere who was safely cocooned in Arthur's arms.

"Did you know about this?" She asked her future sister-in-law.

"Not a clue," Guinevere deadpanned. She knew everything, of course.

"I'm not even going to ask you," she said to Arthur. "Or you," this time at Elyan. "You'll both cover his ass."

"But we don't know..." Arthur and Elyan protested at the same time.

"Shut it," Morgana's voice dripped ice.

"Morgana, honey," Tom tried to placate the young woman who was practically apoplectic in anger. "Calm down."

"I will not," Morgana's voice was starting to rise, but a quelling look from Uther made her steady herself. This wasn't her house and she had no right to make a scene.

"You," she jabbed Merlin in the chest with the papers she held in her fist. "Have a lot of explaining to do."

"Morgana," Merlin began as he walked toward her with his hands held palms-up. "It's just a story. Come on, now."

Morgana's lip quivered and she actually sniffled.

"What the...," Arthur was surprised at sister. She wasn't usually this emotional.

"You turned me into a witch!" Morgana all but yelled at Merlin. "You made me evil!"

Merlin enveloped Morgana in an embrace and let her anger ride out.

Everyone could see the rage in Morgana's green eyes as she peered over Merlin's shoulder at the collection of family and friends who were openly staring at her uncharacteristic display of emotions. After a few moments, she made a halfhearted attempt to push her boyfriend away.

"Love," Merlin said in a soothing voice. "You ended up being the hero of the story." He refused to let her out of his embrace.

"Yes, but not before everyone wanted to kill me!"

"What?" It was Uther's turn to sound confused.

"Here," Morgana thrust the papers into her father's hand. "It's the story Merlin wrote about me."

Uther started to read and soon his chuckles were heard by everyone in the room. After he finished with a page, he handed it to Tom who soon joined in the chortling.

"You turned me into a warlock, Morgana," Merlin reminded her.

"But you were good," she said. She was still sniffling.

"So good that you wanted to kill me in every chapter?"

"Well.."

"And what's with Arthur constantly calling me useless?"

"I guess I did go overboard with that one," Morgana sounded contrite.

"And the kiss with Guinevere?" Merlin raised an eyebrow as Morgana turned pink.

"What kiss?" Arthur yelled at Merlin.

"Ssshh," Guinevere shushed him.

"What kiss?" Arthur asked again. He stopped talking when Guinevere moved her head to kiss his jaw, her tongue just barely flicking his skin.

"You'll tell me about this kiss later, right?" Arthur whispered to Guinevere.

"I'll make you forget all about it," Guinevere replied, giving her fiancé a saucy wink.

Arthur got the message and kept his mouth shut.

"That's enough drama," Elyan's voice called their attention. "I'm starving and I worked too hard to let all this food go cold."

This was answered by a grumble that came from Guinevere's stomach.

Arthur stared at her and smiled. She was such a surprise.

Soon, everyone was in the dining room, taking their place at the large round table that had been in Guinevere's family for generations. Food was being passed around and everyone praised Elyan and Tom for their efforts.

"Much better than any restaurant," Uther raised his glass in salute to father and son. "To you, Tom and Elyan."

"Thank you," Tom raised his glass in acknowledgement. He and Uther had become friends and often spent weekends watching (and berating) their respective football teams as they watched the matches on the telly.

Elyan was rewarded with a "fantastic job" and a kiss from Ella.

Arthur looked at Guinevere who was positively glowing with happiness. He couldn't believe his good fortune: engaged to a woman who loved him as much as he adored her, welcomed into a family who treated him like their own, and finally at peace with his father. There was still Morgana to deal with, of course, but he had Merlin to take care of that.

"What?" Guinevere asked, a little unnerved by how intensely Arthur was looking at her. "Arthur, is anything wrong?

"No," he smiled at her. "Everything's perfect."

He laced her fingers with his and brought her hand to his lips. He caught a glimpse of the ring which now made its home on her hand. It looked wonderful on her; a promise of infinite tomorrows that will be just as happy as today.

"I love you, my lady," he whispered. He had gone to calling her that, a reminder of how they "met."

"And I love you, my prince," Guinevere put her other hand on Arthur's cheek, blushing when he turned his head to kiss her palm.

"Get a room!" Morgana's voice cut into their moment.

Arthur and Guinevere both turned to the woman who was instrumental in bringing them together.

"Later," Guinevere winked at her friend who groaned in response.

"Happy, love?" Merlin whispered the question in Morgana's ear. He noticed how her eyes had softened as she watched how her brother and Guinevere glowed in each other's presence.

"Phenomenally," she said, looking into his blue eyes.

She and Merlin then looked at the people around them. Arthur and Guinevere who were now just sickeningly adorable, Elyan and Ella who were a much calmer pair, and Tom and Uther who turned out to be fiercely protective of everyone at the table.

"This is all because of you, you know," Merlin told Morgana, his lips at her temple.

"And you," she said, remembering how Merlin was the first person to meet Guinevere.

Merlin wrapped an arm around Morgana who snuggled into his side.

"Ah, love," he muttered. "It's just like magic."

Morgana laughed and said, "There's a story in this, you know."

Merlin winked at her. "Of course, love. And I'm sure that you're the right person to tell us all."

**-The end-**


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